


Soliloquy

by TauntedOctopi



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Multi, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:42:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22922782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TauntedOctopi/pseuds/TauntedOctopi
Summary: She is a nursing student who catches Ruvik's eye, but not as a STEM candidate.A series of connected one shots, following the beginning of their relationship, his disappearance, and reappearance in a different body.Lots of fluff, angst, and smut.
Relationships: Leslie Withers/Original Character(s), Ruben "Ruvik" Victoriano/Original Character(s), Ruben "Ruvik" Victoriano/Other(s)
Kudos: 27





	1. Beginning ~

She never thought that this would be the result of accepting a ride home from the mysterious, scarred man who frequented the hospital she nursed at. She was just an intern, trying her best to scrape by on placement and qualify.

Maybe if he hadn't taken an interest in her, she might have quit.

He genuinely liked her. She was quiet. Clever in her own way. She didn't interfere with his work or ask stupid questions. She'd be a terrible STEM candidate, but he enjoyed the little things. The way she remembered he preferred herbal teas, organised his notes for him.

The least he could do was drive her home; it was on the way to his own place of residence, after all.

Perhaps neither of them had expected it, but it must have crossed their minds equally. There was no other way to explain the magnetic energy that had crossed between them when she had asked if he wanted tea before heading home for the night.

For a few minutes, they had stood in awkward silence, she busying herself making the tea while he leaned against the door frame, watching.

It was strange to him, to be somewhere so domestic. He spent every waking moment working on STEM, so consumed with his own bitterness and creation. If he was honest, it was kind of nice.

It became a regular occurrence; he would drive her home, they would drink tea together, say goodnight, and repeat at least twice a week. He had grown comfortable with her, or at least as close to comfortable as he could get. 

Maybe that was why he had chosen to ignore any inhibition that might have occurred usually.

Neither of them could say how they had ended up so close to one another. All that mattered was they were, she looking up at him, into piercing silver eyes.

"Are you afraid?" he asked, almost tired. As though he had expected rejection. He was so used to dispassionate thoughts about himself, it never occurred to him that someone else might find him attractive.

She stared at him, confused by the question.

"I-? I wouldn't have let you so close if I was afraid of you?"

He shook his head, realising she had misunderstood. 

"I meant, you don't seem repulsed." he corrected himself. 

"Why would I be?" she stared at him, "that would be cruel. There's nothing wrong with how you look." 

He shook his head again, laughing slightly. 

"You're a delight, aren't you?" there was no mockery in the comment; genuinely he found her kindness wonderful. Something to hold onto. 

She shrugged, deciding to just... Go for it. Why not? It seemed like the logical way things were heading, with how close he was...

He hadn't expected her to actually kiss him. Of course he wanted her to, wanted far more than just a kiss from her, but he hadn't expected her to truly want him, too. 

How long has it been since he kissed someone? Far too long, he's certain. 

She pulled away far too quickly for his liking. 

"I'm sorry... Does it hurt?" she worried about hurting him, what with his scars, not wanting to be too rough or too intense. 

In response, he swiftly leaned down and kissed her again, ruined mouth devouring her soft lips. She was the softest thing he had touched in years, and under that cold, clinical exterior he was still human. Even if he liked to pretend, or rather forget, that fact, it was still the truth of the matter. He was human, and humanity thrives on intimacy. 

Scarred hands cupped her face, surprisingly gentle, curious rather than clinical as he pulled her closer. He was so warm, she couldn't help but be drawn to him. 

His confidence was growing; he was no longer afraid she might pull away from him. Miraculously, at least to him, somehow she wanted him, just as much as he wanted her. 

Somewhere, hidden beneath his slight worry about his inexperience with proper intimacy, and fear of his own appearance, he could be dominant. Or at least, make a damn good attempt at it. She was pretty sure he was oblivious to the control he inspired in others. 

That assumption would be correct. Although he came off arrogant and calm, he had no idea how demanding he seemed, the potential he had.

Something about his voice made her weak in the knees. So, apparently, did the way he kissed. Confident now, he licked his way into her mouth, tongue exploring, tasting. She melted into his touch, hands reaching up to touch his, still holding her face. 

Their fingers linked together.  
She supposed what happened next would be unavoidable, nor would she have wanted to avoid it.


	2. Night Time

Her room was one of her favourite places in the world. Like the rest of her house, she'd made it cosy. Her own. It was a small sized room, lit by two small lamps on either side table. One large window above the bed allowed moonlight to flow in. 

Ruben had never expected to see her room, let alone be alone with her, half naked, in said room.

Yet here they were. Neither had any inhibition anymore, layers of clothing being discarded between heated kisses.

She knew he was dangerous, hints of his research weren't lost on her. It didn't matter. He found that a blessing. That she wasn't too scared of him.

He had to admit, though, he was... Nervous. 

It was one thing to be kissing her, holding her. A completely different matter to be lying beside her, both entirely naked under the blanket, kissing, touching...

He hadn't been with anyone he truly cared about before. And her... Perhaps it scared him a little, how much he was beginning to care about her. 

"Are you alright?" her fingertips were so soft on the scarred skin of his collarbones, "we can stop, if you want?" 

He shook his head. 

"I don't want to stop. I just... I don't really... I haven't got experience with someone I care about." he hated admitting defeat, and this was too close to it for comfort. 

"Oh," her fingers continued their soft little trail, "well... We can... Take it slow?" 

"Hm." He made an agreeable sound, leaning in to press another kiss to her shoulder. She didn't think she would ever get tired of feeling his mouth on her. 

"Whatever you want." She assured him. 

He offered her a half smirk in response. 

"That's dangerous. Offering a man like me whatever I want."

"You won't hurt me." She shrugged, and he had to admit her confidence in such a fact threw him for a moment. Even though she was absolutely entirely right, which in itself was strange. Usually he would have no issue with hurting whoever he pleased. 

"... I suppose you're right." he admitted. It felt right, to reassure her that she didn't need to fear him. She was his. His to protect, his to please. 

It was that thought train, that feeling, combined with his curious nature, that found him swiftly moving between her legs, parting her thighs, pressing kisses along the sensitive skin. 

He had no idea what he was doing, at least from personal experience. This was something he was basing purely off anatomical thought process. But he wanted to learn. 

"Tell me if I'm doing something you don't like." 

She couldn't help but laugh a little. 

"The teacher becomes the student, huh?" her laughter died on her lips under the intense gaze he fixed her with from between her thighs. 

"It was bound to occur in some instance. At least this one will - hopefully - be pleasurable for us both." 

She made a mental note to teach him how to improve his bedroom talk, should the opportunity arise again. Not that he was terrible, but perhaps a little too clinical. 

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by a soft bite to her inner thigh. There was nothing clinical about that; it was very clearly deliberate. 

She gave a little gasp of surprise, and he paused, mouth inches from her skin. 

"Is that alright?" he seemed quizzical, uncertain. 

"Of course, I just wasn't expecting you to do that..." she assured him. 

"But you like it?" he wouldn't accept that she did unless she blatantly told him. 

"Definitely." she was a little embarrassed to admit it, strangely, but she wanted to assure him that she was comfortable. 

"Hmm." was all he said in response, before he leaned in and gently bit down on her other thigh, smirking slightly against her skin when he felt her shiver. 

He continued his path, kissing and nipping his way up her thigh until he found his target. 

He didn't ask again, taking her consent and running with it. She was grateful for that, not wanting to constantly reassure him, though of course she would have, had he really needed it. 

Any coherent thought fast went out the window when he slowly licked along her wetness. There was no sense of clinical work here, just curiosity. It didn't matter to her that he was unpractised; if anything, that made it better. 

Without stopping the little circles his tongue was making around her clit, he slid a slightly roughened finger inside her, curling it slightly until she moaned softly. Taking that as encouragement, he added a second finger, slowly coaxing more sweet sounds from her. 

Continuing the stroking movements of his fingers, he removed his mouth from her, kissing his way back up her body slowly. She wasn't sure where this confidence was coming from but she liked it, hoped it would stick around. 

Her fingers stroked along his shoulders, down his arms, feather light. She didn't want to hurt him, even though he was adamant that she wouldn't. She was more than content with just this. If he didn't want to go any further, she would understand. 

She almost assumed that was his thought process when he removed his fingers from her, until he pressed them against her mouth. Understanding, she parted her lips, sucking her own wetness from his fingers. 

"Good.." it was maybe similar to how he might speak when assessing a test subject, but she didn't care, found it attractive anyway. 

He kissed her then; she could taste herself on his tongue, leaned into him, eager to get as much of him as possible. 

"You are mine." he half mumbled it against her lips, but the intent was clear. She belonged to him now.


	3. Nothing Gold

Maybe with anyone else, someone being possessive would freak her out. Not Ruben.

The way he covered her in bite marks and bruises, growling into her ear, she couldn't help but submit to him.

He had kissed her a little longer, left her finally practically shaking with how much she wanted him. Perhaps he had simply applied his controlling nature to this, too, but it worked.

His confidence had grown immensely, especially since she had softly affirmed that she belonged to him. Perhaps that mindset was what he needed to be confident enough to do this. Perhaps it was sheer curiosity.

Either way, before she could really say much more, think about it too much, he was pressing inside her, a look of curious concentration on his scarred face.

She wanted to ask him about it, but before she could find the words, concentration had given way to a slightly pleased smirk. She hadn't even realised she'd been making a sound til then.

She became aware of the soft sounds she had been making, then. Soft little sighs as he filled her completely. She was almost embarrassed, trying to stop herself from making a sound. He shook his head, almost disapproving, lips brushing her throat.

"No. I want to hear you."

She wasn't in any position, nor was she particularly willing, to ignore his request. Embarrassment gave way to her own confidence, letting herself make those sweet sounds as he started to move.

"Good. That's good." 

He kept a slow, steady pace at first, taking his time, allowing both of them to get used to the sensation. 

She hadn't expected him to be so gentle. Demanding, yes. But she had expected roughness from him, almost, to match. 

She liked this better. 

When they were both finished, lying together in a tangle of limbs and blanket, he kissed each bruise and bite he had left on her, as if in apology. 

She didn't know the full extent of what he was; oddly, he didn't want her to. If he could keep that part of his nature from her, continue to have these little moments of happiness and peace together... 

He hadn't been so at peace in years. Even with the STEM project to contend with, there was a constant state of disquiet. Not when he was with her. If he could stay with her. .. 

Perhaps things would look up, for him. 

Of course, like any good thing, at least in his case, it wasn't meant to last.


	4. In Between

It's been weeks now. Weeks since he just simply disappeared without a trace. If she was braver, maybe she'd ask Jiminez about it. But something, as if in warning, keeps her from doing so.  
That asking Jiminez where Ruben went would not end well for her.

Was he dead? Simply vanished? She didn't know. Would she ever?

It was cruel, she thought. To have what little solace they had found in each other taken away so cruelly, without warning.

Amidst her confusion, her grief, her internship came to a close, forcing her to leave Beacon and return to university, trading placement for papers. Would he be proud of her? Beacon was a hellish place. Many interns quit. Not her. 

She owed it to him, she thought, to see it through.

The cruel irony was that he was right there with her the entire time, unseen. Watching. Waiting. Planning an escape from the world he had been trapped in.

Perhaps he couldn't bring Laura back, not in the way he had so hoped. Nothing could bring back a childhood lost, a dead sister...

But her? Warm. Living. Waiting for him. That was his goal now. To escape this world Mobius had trapped him in. To find her.

For now he was stuck in suspended time, a world he could bend to his will. Waiting. Waiting for the right person to come along. To submit to his will.

He would find those responsible for his death. His torment. He would make them pay...  
And then... Then he would find her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter skips ahead to post TEW.


	5. Return

He had always loved the rain. Even as a boy, he had spent so many days getting drenched, observing different insects that came out in those conditions.

When he had been locked away for all those years below ground, he had missed the rain more than sunlight.

It seemed as if something was going right after all, then, when he woke up in a body that was now his, a body free of pain, to find it tipping down with rain.

Mobius believed being in STEM had 'cured' Leslie. The boy would no longer be a core candidate. Perhaps that was why they let him go.

And go, he had. He had simply walked free of the place, so unused to being able to move without a hint of pain from scars and burns.

It took him a while. He wanted to be sure they weren't following him. The last thing he wanted was to be taken from her again... 

It was raining again, the day he chose. He caught sight of himself in the window of a passed shop, almost startled himself. He had grown so used to his scarred appearance. 

Perhaps he might have taken to wearing the sort of clothes he wore as a boy; dress shirts, slacks, ties... As it was, he was trying to avoid being stared at too closely. Mostly he drifted in jeans, hoodies. The sort of common thing for men his age - his new age - to wear. 

He stood outside her front door; he had dressed up, for this. Slacks, dark grey. Dress shirt. Grey waistcoat. Blood red tie. The lapel pin with the Victoriano family crest. 

Slicking his hair back had been near impossible; Leslie had unruly white hair, impossible to tame. He had had to settle with brushing it. 

She answered the door in jeans and an over sized sweater, the name of her university emblazoned across the front. There were dark circles under her eyes. A quick once over told him stress, grief, and a general lack of caring for herself were being thinly masked. 

"Can I help you?" she sounded tired, beaten down. Had she been looking for him? She must have, and reached dead ends wherever she went. 

"Perhaps I can help you." how his voice had survived the transition into a new body was beyond his comprehension, but in this instance, he was grateful. 

Her eyes went wide, staring as though she'd seen a ghost. Perhaps it seemed to her that she had. 

He waited, patiently, to see what she would say. 

"How-?" she asked, disbelief, shock, hope and awe crossing her face in quick succession. 

"May I come in? I promise I will explain everything. But not on the porch." it was dangerous, still, to speak so openly. 

"Of.. Of course." she stepped aside, let him pass, closing the door behind him. 

\--

"All this time... You were right there..." she was sitting on the couch, her head in her hands. He was perched on the edge of the armchair facing her, unsure how to console her. 

"You hardly could have known.. They were very careful to cover their tracks."

For the briefest moment he wished he still had his old body. He had been taller. More broad shouldered. Someone who looked strong. Even dressed up, his new body, he didn't give off the same imposing aura. 

She didn't seem to care. 

"I thought you were dead..." 

"I was. Technically." his mouth twisted into a bitter smile as he recalled the details.

Her eyes widened in horror. He knew that she knew he wasn't great with physical affection, but he couldn't help it; he moved to sit beside her, pulling her close against him. It would be the only thing to comfort her, and that mattered more to him than his own aversion to touch. 

"It's okay. I'm here now."

"But.. What about... Everything? You won't go away again?" she was shaking, slightly. It surprised him, how much she truly cared. 

"I'm not going anywhere. I had to get out, get back to you, didn't I? Why would I throw all that away?" he shook his head. 

"But... STEM?" She stared at him, questioning. 

"A pipe dream. I can never take back what was lost. And if I tried, they'd just kill me again." he shrugged. Some things just weren't worth it. 

He had had to accept, during his time trapped, that Laura would not come back. That, even in STEM, he could not bring her back. That if he were to survive, he would have to face his own trauma. Accept the reality of his childhood. 

Would that not be what Laura would have wanted? For him to not only survive, but live? She had given her life for his. Now, more than ever, it seemed to mean something. 

"Don't leave again?" she said finally, her face still buried in his shoulder. Her tears had soaked his shirt, but he didn't care. 

"I'm not going anywhere." He promised. And this time, he meant it.


End file.
